A Caged Fox
by Ramona Bandicoot
Summary: Request for 'Dragonmaster789'. When a set of thieveing twins run across a master thief and distant friend, their life as they knew it...will change forever.
1. Chapter 1: Meeting the Cooper

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions. I don't own any characters...all original characters belong to 'Dragonmaster789'.

**Claimer:** I own nothing... I simply wrote the story.

_Request for 'Dragonmaster789'. Any non Sly Cooper characters are not mine; they belong to 'Dragonmaster789'; I simply wrote the story. Anyway, please read, review, and let either of us know what you think! Thanks!_

A Caged Fox

Chapter 1: Meeting the Cooper

I waved goodbye to my father before scampering off on my own into the park. Winter had just hit and snow littered the ground, thinly blanketing the city of Paris in clean, white snow. I pulled my jacket hood down, giving me a chance to peer around the seemingly empty park, as I searched for another child to play with. I didn't wander too far off, still staying within eyesight of my father, but wandered about, trying to find someone to accompany me. Being an only child, boredom easily set in for me. So, following in the line of my father and the rest of my ancestors, I was a thief…in training. However, I could steal things all the time so playing a simply game of hide and seek with another child boosted my spirits. I trotted along the park pathway, keeping an eye out for anyone. After a good ten minutes of searching, I eventually found two children, about my age, sitting near the swing set and slide alone. The two children, appearing to be brother and sister, were solid black foxes and looked to be just as bored as I was. Their uniquely colored purple hair fluttered in the slight breeze, eventually making them shiver with the wind. Desperately wanting a companion to play with, I figured that going over to talk to them couldn't hurt. I kicked at the snow, not quite sure on how to just simply invite myself over there to play with them, hoping they'd look over and invite me over.

To my delight, the brother looked over after a while, waving as he did so. I responded with my own wave, giving a half smile as I did so. With his wave, his sister turned in my direction, staring me down with a rather cold glare. From the looks of it, she seemed to be a bit distant and cold, but she had a pretty face. Like the other black fox, her purple hair contrasted against both her fur and the snow surrounding her, but it made her unique. Her brother motioned me over with a wave of his paw, signaling to me to join the two of them in the snow. The two siblings were in the process of building a snowman; already having the base constructed with the middle piece in the works. I trotted over to their location, happy to see that I might have a new pair of friends. The foxes stood, dusting the snow from their jackets and pants as I came to a stop, finally coming into speaking distance.  
"Do you want to help us build the snowman?" the boy asked with a friendly smile. His sister on the other hand, wasn't too happy with my presence. She slapped his jacket, giving him a glare and crossing her arms across her chest.  
"Sure," I said after glancing to the girl across from me, "If it's okay with your sister." She black furred female glanced to me, looking me up and down before giving a nod.

"I'm Sly, by the way," I said as the three of us sat down in the snow, "Sly Cooper." The girl kept her eyes away from me, simply adding more snow to the snowman that was being built.  
"I'm Tomoya Furukama," the male said with another smile, "and this is my twin, Nagisa." They had…different…names than what I was used to, but it's not like my own name was that normal either. It was obvious that they weren't from Paris, but they might have been from another country…maybe Japan.  
"So," I started after I had begun to place snow onto the snowman, "What are you two doing out here alone?" Nagisa glanced up to me, her eyebrows knitting together.  
"We could ask you the same question," Tomoya glared at his sister, thumping her upper arm at her comment. She glanced to her brother, taking a calming breath before speaking again, "We're waiting for our dad to get back from the store. Then we're going to go visit our grandparents in the city for Christmas." I nodded, looking to the young female.  
"Do you two live in the city? Or out of town?" Nagisa brushed her hair from her face and looked at me as well, her expression seeming to soften.  
"We're not from Paris," she said as we continued to pack snow onto the snowman, "After we visit our grandparents, we're going back to Japan with our dad."

"Japan? That's pretty far away." The three of us laughed and talked about random things for the rest of the time we were together. We worked together and built on the snowman, eventually getting the middle piece and head onto the body. Tomoya had scampered off briefly to find some sticks for the arms and nose. We had just started putting the rocks on the snowman's head for the eyes and mouth when I heard someone call for Tomoya and Nagisa. I glanced to where the voice had come from, seeing an adult coming towards us, looking like my two new friends. I could only assume that he was their dad once Nagisa had gone running to the man, hugging his legs. The man glanced to me, smiling and holding up his paw in the process as a gesture of hello. I waved back, smiling as well. Nagisa started walking away with her dad, her brother following behind them. Tomoya turned back briefly, waving goodbye as he left with his sister and father.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Sly, Sly!" Bentley's voice snapped me from my thoughts, bringing it back to his seemingly endless slideshow presentation, "Are you even paying attention?" I chuckled at my friend, leaning back in my chair while placing my arms behind my head.  
"Of course, Bentley, how could I _not_ pay attention during one of your brilliant slideshows?" he shot me an annoyed glance before shoving his glasses back on his nose.  
"This is serious, Sly! This is a big heist and if you don't pull your part off exactly as I planned, it could be a bust! Police will be everywhere and we can't afford you getting arrested during this heist!"  
"Calm down, Bentley," I said after propping my feet on our table, glancing to my reptile friend, "Have I ever let you down before?" he scoffed, returning to his slideshow, his voice making me zone out again. I'd been thinking about Nagisa and Tomoya a lot recently; thinking back to our brief encounter in the park all those years ago. Tomo seemed to be like the protective brother typing, willing to do anything to protect his sister. His sister Nagi, however, seemed to be more distant; a little cold with a rough outside; much like Carmelita. I wasn't quite sure why I'd been thinking about them recently, but perhaps that I'd see them again soon…get a chance to reconnect and possibly form a friendship. With that thought left in my mind, I stood, stretching in the process. Bentley's slideshow had finally ended and now it was time for us to put our heist into action. If we could pull this off successfully…then it would be one of our biggest heists in a long while.


	2. Chapter 2: The Mermaid Diamond

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions/Sanzaru games. I don't own any characters…all original characters belong to 'Dragonmaster789'.

**Claimer:** I own nothing…I simply wrote the story.

_Just to mention really quick…the point of view does changed multiple times in this story. I'll try to make it as obvious as possible, but they do change. Usually, if .-.-.-.-. appears in the middle of a story, then the POV has changed. Just thought I'd throw that out there. And I'm sorry for the update delay…I've been a bit busy so things have been hectic. But anyway, please read, review, and enjoy! Thanks!_

Chapter 2: A Mermaid Diamond

I scanned the streets below me carefully, looking for my targets. With a pair of binoculars in one paw and my cell phone in the other, I searched for that blasted raccoon, and that all-too-beautiful fox. I kept to the shadows, keeping my profile low and keeping my targets completely unaware of my presence. I could feel my fur start to bristle when I spotted one of my targets making his way inside the building. Sly Cooper handed his party invitation to the guard at the door before smugly walking in…making me want to punch the thief square in the face. I hate that man; absolutely hated him and the Cooper line all together. If it wasn't for the Cooper legacy, my family's reputation wouldn't be in shambles, we would be the ones on the top, and I wouldn't have lost the love of my life to that blasted thief. He took her away from me…he took Nagisa Furukawa away from me. I loved that beautiful woman, but he had to swoop in and pull her into his trap of lies and false love.

Cooper was well inside when I noticed something peculiar to the right of me. Glancing in the direction of the strange movement, I noticed what…who…it was. My heart skipped a beat as I watched my stolen love make her way inside the building through a side window. I knew what she was doing…that beautiful, solid black fox was stealing the main prize of the evening. Nagi was a beautiful woman and a very talent thief…qualities that made me love her immensely as well as miss her. We had dated a while back and I had finally worked up enough courage to propose to the fox. I was certain she would say yes, and that I would have a wonderful, beautiful bride and wife. But no…she had fallen for that Sly Cooper. Even though she rarely showed it…I knew she had fallen for that dirty, rotten, scum bag of a thief. After making sure that the fox was inside, I put down my binoculars and unlocked my phone, dialing the number of my employer. Placing the phone to my ear, I heard the phone ring and ring, hoping that my boss would pick up. I took a deep breath when the rings stopped and the voice of my employer filled my ears. I was on a recon mission for my boss, keeping an eye on the two targets.

"Sam," the gruff voice of my employer caught my attention, "I presume the targets are in position. Nothing has gone wrong?"

"Correct, everything has gone according to plan. Both targets are inside the building and everything checks out to your orders." My boss chuckled, setting me a bit at ease.

"Good, good; I knew you'd be a valuable ally, my bushy tailed dingo. Just make sure the plan goes according to my orders!"

"Of course; I wouldn't have it any other way." I hung up from my employer before shoving my phone in my pocket. I straightened my coat out before turning on my heels, making my way down the alley and away from the building.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I kept my body pressed against the wall, keeping as quiet as I could until the guard passed by me, his flashlight beam pouncing as he trotted down the hall. Once he was out of sight, I rushed around the corner silently, keeping my presence hidden from anyone else that might be listening in. I skidded to a stop in the entrance way of the room I was looking for, scanning it for any enemies before ducking inside. I smiled to myself, seeing that my prize was completely unguarded, as I strolled inside the room and straight up to the display case. After slipping on my gloves, I slowly pulled away the curtain from the case, revealing the glass case and the prize gem I had my sights on. The Mermaid Diamond was large, a rich ocean blue, and was worth a pretty penny. I crouched slightly, setting my full attention on the display case lock, opening it slowly and carefully.

"Nagi," my brother's voice cracked in my ear, "do you have that case open yet?" I continued to slowly crack the lock, not wanting to damage it and keep it from opening.

"Keep your pants on, Tomo; I'm at the case now. Just give me two minutes to get the case open, slip on my party dress, and I'll meet you in the ballroom. Just _don't_ let anyone back here before I make it out!" I whispered harshly into my earpiece, not wanting to alert anyone to my presence.

I laughed softly once the case was open and I could grab my prize. Before I put my hand inside the case, I searched for any trip wires, just to be sure that I wouldn't set off any alarms. The Mermaid Diamond was to be displayed for the first time tonight to the entire city of Paris. So, I figured that swiping it before anyone could see it would just make things more…fun. They were to announce the unveiling of the diamond at a quarter to midnight, giving me about forty-five minutes to steal the diamond without getting caught. Once I was sure that there was nothing that would set of any alarms, I grabbed my prize, sticking it in my purse before shutting the case and replacing the cover. Once I was sure the case was exactly the way it was when I found it, I darted from the display room and into the ladies' restroom to change into my party gown. Normally on a heist, I would go in, steal what I came for, and get out before I was caught. But because this was the grand display of the gemstone, I wanted to see the reaction on the peoples faces when the priceless Mermaid Diamond wasn't in the display case. After removing my thief outfit into my purse and slipping on my white party gown, I left the restroom and strolled into the party room. There were numerous people in the room, the rich from the city, major political figures, the museum owners, the police, and other assorted people.

I strolled passed my brother, who was talking to Inspector Carmelita Fox, well…more like flirting, but that was a different story. He nodded slightly as he talked to the Interpol officer, acknowledging my presence. I walked around, looking for something to do or someone to dance with until the diamond was supposed to be shown, just to give me something to do. I sighed to myself, boredom already starting to set in as I made my way to the makeshift bar, sitting down and ordering a glass of champagne. I sat on one of the benches, sipping at the glass in my paw. I kept a paw on my purse, not wanting my new acquired gemstone to fall out and give my cover away. I glanced to the side, realizing someone had approached the makeshift bar as well. I looked at the raccoon that had approached, who had gotten a glass of champagne himself, and found myself staring; finding his features to be familiar. It took a minute, but the man finally caught me staring. Setting his glass down, he looked over his suit and then to me, a questionable look on his features.

"Is there something wrong with the way I'm dressed?" he asked with a chuckle and a raised eyebrow. I shook my head quickly, returning his smile and setting my own glass down.

"Of course not," I managed to say quickly, not wanting to seem like a creeper by just staring, "Your suit is fine…you just look really familiar. Have we met before?" he rested his arm against the bar, thinking.

"It's possible, I suppose," he said eventually, "I do get around a bit." He chuckled, sipping at his drink again. And with that, the silence between us resumed. We sat at the bar, sipping our drinks, listening to the music of the party behind us. I glanced to my watch, realizing I only had to waist another fifteen minutes before they would reveal the Mermaid Diamond. I finished off my drink, getting ready to stroll around the dance floor, when the man next to me turned in my direction, eventually speaking.

"Would you like to dance?" his question caught me off guard, considering that I didn't know the man. I glanced to the man, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear before speaking to him.

"I'm sorry?" he chuckled, standing up from the bar, and stretched an arm out towards the dance floor.

"Would you like to dance?" he repeated, his arm still stretched towards the dance floor. I gave a nod as my answer before walking arm and arm with the mysterious man.

I kept my silence as we made it to the dance floor and locked arms so we could start dancing. I wasn't quite sure what was going on with me…this was completely out of character for me to do something like this. I never talked with a complete stranger, let alone danced with them. But there was just something about him that made me feel somewhat at ease. I felt like I'd known him for a while now…I mean, I recognized his face…I just couldn't give that face a name. My thoughts ended when we started dancing, our bodies and feet moving as one as we danced to the slow song that played. We swayed, back and forth, spinning in circles, and taking the occasional bow as we danced throughout the song. The man danced extremely well; never stumbling or tripping, making every movement fluent. The song finally ended and we parted, giving each other smile and a thank you.

"I'm sorry," he said after the others dispersed and chatted with each other quietly, "but I don't believe I caught your name, Mademoiselle." I smiled, finding a slight blush start forming on my cheeks. That smile…that's when it clicked on where I knew the raccoon from. I smiled in return, giving a wave goodbye to my old friend…and possible rival…Sly Cooper.

"Just call me Nagi." He gave a slight nod before taking my paw in his own and planting a kiss on top of it.

"Then it was a pleasure to meet you, Nagi." I smiled as well, feeling my blush start to rise.

"And the same to you…Mr.…?" I knew who he was…but he didn't know that I knew. I figured that if I could keep that secret to myself as long as possible, then I could use it to my advantage. He opened his mouth to speak, but of course, the loudspeakers came one, hindering me from hearing what Cooper had to say. Everyone's attention turned to the stage, eagerly awaiting the reveal of the Mermaid diamond. I knew that I wouldn't be able to figure out the man' identity tonight, I took one of my calling cards from my purse, carefully keeping the diamond from the crowd and making sure my dance partner was unaware of what I was doing, I slipped my signature card inside the man's pocket carefully, telling him that we should work together sometime in the near future.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Paris!" the announcer yelled out proudly into his microphone, "You have been waiting all night for our unveiling! And now, I'm proud to present to you…" he paused, placing a paw on the cloth over the case, "The wonderful, beautiful, stunning and one of a kind, Mermaid diamond!" he yanked the cloth from the case…and I smiled proudly in response. Gasps and shrieks came from the crowd one they realized that the diamond was gone. I backed up through the crowd slowly, not wanting to draw attention to myself, as I made my escape. I spotted my twin exit through the front and I was about to follow him. I glanced back to my mysterious dance partner briefly; noticing he'd found my calling card and was searching the crowd for where I had wondered off to. My heart almost stopped when he finally found me backing out of the room. Instead of alerting the attention of everyone here, he gave a wide smile, winking in the process.


	3. Chapter 3: A Cat and a Snake

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions/Sanzaru games. I don't own any characters…all original characters belong to 'Dragonmaster789'.

**Claimer:** I own nothing…I simply wrote the story the way I was told.

_Well here's chapter 3! On another note, I am thinking of new story ideas that I want to work on after I completely finish both this for 'Dragonmaster789' and my Sir Galleth story, so I've started a poll on my profile page. So along with reading and leaving feedback for this, please help out my poll so I can start figuring out plots for my future stories, thanks!_

Chapter 3: A Cat and a Viper

I glanced around the city of Paris, only half listening to Bentley as he rambled on and on and _on_ about our next caper. Along with Murray behind us, we were heading to the local coffee house for a cup of hot steaming caffeine before we set out for our next job. I walked with my paws in my pockets, kicking at rocks on the ground and running my fingers over the note in my pocket. After the mysterious theft of the Mermaid Diamond, my mind had been trying to figure out who had stolen it…and I think I had my man…or maybe I should say woman. I was convinced that the woman I danced with that night, the same woman who gave me the note in my pocket, was the thief. I was also sure of who the identity of the woman was, someone who had unmistakable features and a unique personality; Nagisa Furukawa.

"You got that, Sly?" Bentley's voice snapped me from my thoughts, bringing me back to what we were doing.

"Of course, heard every word you said." I chuckled, knowing that I hadn't heard a word since we left the hideout. Bentley rolled his eyes with his own laugh as we finished walking to our destination, the coffee shop on the other side of the city. As we entered the small building, we noticed the infamous Inspector Carmelita Fox sitting at one of the booths near the back, her nose buried in paperwork and her attention turned to her latest case. Realizing that getting in a confrontation with the Interpol officer wasn't the best thing to do in a small, family owned coffee shop, so we decided that staying low was probably going to be the best idea. The three of us sat at a booth behind a group of rather loud teenagers, keeping out of sight from the Inspector. I sat next to Bentley, Murray sitting across from us, and picked up a menu, looking through it while Bentley went over our plans…again.

"Bentley," I glanced to the turtle next to me, "you've gone over these plans a thousand times…I think we've got it down. Besides, this race will be a piece of cake." Being thieves, we were always looking for ways to steal priceless items and earn a pretty penny from them. So, once we heard that the Cats Rubs and the Snake's Sapphire were the grand prizes to the winner of the annual race here in Paris, and then we simply couldn't pass it up. With Murray, his van, and his racing skills, there would be no way that we could loose this race. Bentley tried to respond, but was overpowered by the teenagers behind us.

"Dude!" one of the boys remarked to his friends, "You can't win this race! The Viper is competing! She's never lost a race! She's too fast!" the other boys at the table howled out laughs at their friends put down.

"Nah!" another retorted, "I can take her! With the alterations I've given to my car, I can smoke all of the competition!"

"Yeah, but you drive like your grandmother!" another round of laughter came from the table, making a rather loud commotion. Our waitress came to our table, briefly turning to the table of teenagers, barking at them for the teens to quiet down a little. The woman shook her head, muttering a phrase to the teens under her breath before returning her attention to our table. I felt my ears perk, automatically realizing who our waitress was. My dance partner from the other night stood at the table, a pad in her paws and an apron tied around her waist. Nagi's uniquely colored purple hair was pulled on top of her head in a sloppy bun, some of it dangling to her face.

"Your orders?" she asked, placing a pen to the pad and waited for our responses. Both Bentley and Murray asked for a simple cup of coffee and Nagi wrote them down quickly before turning to me. She recognized me instantly, but kept her composure and mentioned nothing of our dance the other night.

"Surprise me." I said to the jet black fox, who, like Bentley and Murray, was slightly taken back by my response.

"Surprise you?" she repeated with a raised eyebrow. I nodded, handing her my menu before flashing her a smile, "Alright," she said with a confused look before walking towards the counter, starting our orders.

"Did you hear that guys?" Murray excited voice came after the waitress was gone, "The Viper is competing! She's one of the best racers I've heard of!"

"Really?" I asked after shifting in my seat, "What does she look like?" Murray shifted as well, barely able to contain his excitement.

"That's the thing, no one knows! That's what makes her so mysterious. She always races on her motorcycle, zooming out of the starting gate and winning each race with a breeze. Then, after she's collected her prize, she disappears. And after that she's not seen or heard from until the next race. I don't know if I can win it if she's competing."

"Don't worry Big Guy; I'm sure you'll smoke her right out of the starting gate. We'll be the ones walking away with those prizes, not The Viper." I chuckled at my large friend, confidant that he could win no problem.

"Did you just say that you'll be racing The Viper in the race later today?" Nagi returned to our table with our drinks on her tray, a curious look on her face.

"Yeah," I said glancing up to the waitress, "you know anything about her?" she scoffed, placing one of the drinks on the table.

"Only that she's the best racer in the history of racing. No offence, but you don't stand a chance against her." She placed a second drink on the table, a proud look on her face.

"Well I think that we have just a good of chance as anyone, especially this Viper." She raised an eyebrow and slid my drink to me from across the table.

"Have you ever actually seen her race?" I shook my head, sipping at my coffee, "Then if you have, then you would know you can't win against her. She's too good." She smirked, turning from our table with her tray in her arms. I shook my head at the fox, knowing that she knew who I was and seemed to be in the mood for bantering.

"You know her?" Murray asked as he pointed to the fox, who had made her way back behind the counter and was wiping it down with a towel. I stayed silent, simply shaking my head in the process. I wasn't planning on telling them that I knew that the fox was Nagi…I figured I'd have my fun with her first. With her attitude, I figured that she'd be at that race later today…and I'd be sure to meet here there.


	4. Chapter 4: A Cat and A Snake, part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions. I don't own any characters...all original characters belong to 'Dragonmaster789'.

Claimer: I own nothing... I simply wrote the story.

Chapter 4: A Cat and A Snake

I sighed deeply as I finished strapping my racing gloves on over my paws. I stood next to my motorcycle, getting ready for the upcoming race that would be a piece of cake for me to win. I had no real competition here…but I wanted the grand prize that the race holders offered; the Cats Ruby and the Snake Sapphire. Winning these would obviously give me prestige in the thieving world and I never turned down a race. Pulling my hair up, I slipped my helmet on over my head, hiding my face from the rest of the world. I straddled the seat of my motorcycle, ready to drive it up to the starting line so I could win this race and go home. I wasn't nervous about this race at all; I knew that I had it in the bag and that this wouldn't be a challenge. Knocking the stand up from my motorcycle, I slowly rode it to the starting line next to the other racers.

I glanced around the competition, seeing the various motorcycles, cars…and a van, that were lined up to compete. I waited for the race to begin in silence, listening to those around me and waiting for the announcers' voice to come over the intercom, telling us that we could begin. I could feel the sun start to beat down on starting line and I was ready to get this race started. I turned my head to the side, feeling a soft tap on my shoulder. A rather large hippo stood in front of me, a pen and a piece of paper in his grasp and a rather nervous look adorning his features. He gave a goofy smile, shoving the pen and paper in my direction as he attempted to sputter out a sentence.  
"W-would you mind giving me your autograph, Ms. Viper?" I smiled, giggling at his nervous behavior as I took the pen and paper from his hands and placed them in mine, setting the pen in my paw so I could write.  
"And who should I make this out to?" he laughed nervously, wringing his hands in the process after finally spitting out his name.

"Just make it out to Murray, please." I smiled, finishing off his autography with a flick of my wrist and my name inked on the paper. He thanked me over and over as he walked away, returning to his van so he could race as well. I chuckled and gripped the handle bars on my motorcycle, hearing the intercom above us kick to life.  
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcers voice boomed over the speaker, "Please, take your seats! The race is about to begin!" cheers and applause came from the crowd as the people took their seats and waited for the race to start.  
"Listen Nagi," my brothers' voice sounded over the ear piece placed inside my ear, "just win this race and those gemstones are ours." With those words buzzing in my head, I turned the ignition on and revved the engine on my motorcycle.  
"Racers, get ready to race!" I looked around one more time, seeing the other racers get their vehicles ready to speed down the racetrack, "Go racers! Go! Go! Go!" the man over the intercom shouted as the race began, and I took off.

I zoomed in front of the other racers, easily making it to first place without much effort on my part. I swayed left and right, keeping my position in first place and I knew deep down that I would win this race. I glanced to my right and I noticed a van picking up speed, coming up next to me. And I had just given the driver of the van an autograph! I wasn't going to let him win, fan or not, because I wanted those prize gems. I hunched forward, pressing on the accelerator of my motorcycle, trying to keep head of the hippo in the van. I would push forward only to have the van pass me just a little. The finish line was approaching quickly, and the van was riding down my neck. We both had our accelerators presses as far as they would go in an attempt to be the first to cross that finish line. I had gotten a slight lead, I was about to win this race for team Furukama! Only, I had my heart and hopes crushed when the competing van slipped past me narrowly, winning the race for himself. I crossed the finish line in a close second…and I was furious. I dismounted my motorcycle, removed my helmet and stormed off in a huff, pushing past people and leaving my bike where I had parked it.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I flopped down on my living room cough with a sigh, still unable to believe that I'd been beaten in that race. I had that race won! But that van, whose driver I had just given an autograph to five minutes earlier, beat me and won the gems for himself! I couldn't believe it! I shook my head and took my laptop from the other side of the couch, pulling it into my lap and opening it. For the past weeks, I'd been researching my family and I figured that a bit of research would help me calm my nerves. My fingers glided over the keys as I typed, looking for any information I could find. I yawned quietly as I searched, still tired from loosing the race, and my gems, and was ready to just relax. My ears perked at the sound of a knock at the door, which forced me to get up and answer my door. After placing my laptop on the seat next to me, I stood, answering the door to my home quietly. I was a bit surprised to see who was at the door; a delivery man with a bouquet of flowers in his grasp.  
"Nagi Furukama?" he asked after looking at the card in his grasp. I nodded, wondering why he was delivering me flowers, "These are for you, ma'am." He handed me the flowers, smiling as he did so, before dipping his head down and making his way back down the hallway.

Thanking him, I took the flowers into my home and sat back down on the couch with them. A simple, blue calling card was resting inside the blooms of the flowers…and it was a calling card that I was familiar with. I opened Sly Cooper's calling card silently, glancing to the scribbled, hand-written note inside.  
"It's been a while since we last chatted…why don't you meet me in from of the fountain in town at 4:45 and we can talk?" I smirked, closing the card before glancing to the clock. With the big hand nearing the bottom of the clock, I placed my flower on the coffee table in front of the couch and grabbed my purse, heading for the door so I could meet Cooper in front of the fountain.


End file.
